Hair comb cleaner



March 22, 1955 E. E. BARKLOW 2,704,374

HAIR COMB CLEANER Filed Sept. 14, 1954 INVENTOR. EQMAH BAQKLoW BY V United States Patent HAIR COMB CLEANER Ermah E. Barklow, Toledo, Ohio, assignor of one-third to Walter J. Paxton and one-third to Norman F. Krueger, both of Toledo, Ohio Application September 14, 1954, Serial No. 456,043

7 Claims. (Cl. 15-39) My invention relates to the art of cleaning hair combs and particularly to that of providing a hair comb cleaner means, preferably mechanical and power driven, of a simple enicient structure and low cost.

Codes of health regulation promulgated by local and state authorities often require that combs used in public establishments, such as beauty and barber shops, be cleaned and sterilized after each use. Cleaning combs usually involves scrubbing them in a soapy water or l1ke solution. This operation, for a time, diverts the trained beautician or barber from more productive work. Hence, the need for a power driven mechanical comb cleaning and scrubbing device has long been felt.

Some effort on the part of my predecessors has been made to meet this need. One such effort was that of the patentee of United States Patent No. 2,082,991 issued June 8, 1937, disclosing a power driven mechanical comb cleaner means. The chief difliculty with the construction shown in this patent rests in its complication and consequent expense. This is due, principally, to the vertical nature of the comb cleaner bath provided and to the arrangement by which a comb is fed to the cleaning chamber and retained in the scrubbing position. The vertical nature of this prior art construction necess1tates, it expensive shaft packing is to be avoided, placing the brush interdrive gears directly in the cleaning solution and at the lower end of the cleaning chamber. This has the consequence of allowing loose hair and foreign matter from the combs being cleaned to fall downward upon the gears and to there become wound upon and balled into clogging relation with the gears. Feeding the comb to the cleaning chamber and retaining it there contemplates the use of a slide bracket, carrying comb engaging clips, and moving it in telescopic relation to a guide. Aside from limiting the adaptability of the cleaner, by the positioning and shape of the clips, to treating combs of certain size and shape, the slide guide, like the gears, is also immersed in the comb cleaner solution and becomes gummed and jammed with hair and foreign matter.

More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide a comb cleaner adaptable for cleaning combs of a great variety of sizes and shapes. Another ob ect of my invention is to provide a power driven comb cleaner having comb supporting means in and onto which not only a large variety of shaped and sized combs may be placed for support but also of a character that such receipt and support may be made without adjustment, manipulation or change. Thus a cleaner embodying my invention may clean rat-tail" combs, full body combs, curling combs, waving combs and many other types and shapes of combs.

A further and equally important object of my invention is to provide a power comb cleaner in which the comb cleaning members cooperate in their cleaning action to support the comb in a cleaning position. A more particular object of my invention is to provide, in a power comb cleaner, a comb support in such relation to the comb cleaning members that upon actuation of the members a comb engaged thereby is forced into the comb support and there held in cleaning position. This eliminates the needfor the time consuming positioning of the comb in clips or bracket holders in preparation to introduction into the cleaning chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide, on the comb cleaning member of a power comb cleaner, a plurality of comb engaging elements in a position that ice movement of the cleaner member passes said elements through a path which first intersects a comb in the cleaning position at a point on its back or spine and then passes in a direction slightly axially and principally transverse and outwardly along the teeth of the comb. By this provision, said comb engaging elements dislodge hair and foreign matter located along the sides of the comb teeth and the elements also reach into and between the teeth to inclinedly engage the faces of the teeth facing the spaces between adjoining teeth. The direction with which the elements pass relative to the comb assures that hair and foreign matter will be thrust away, not at, the comb or the interstices between adjoining teeth.

A still further and particular object is to provide a power comb cleaner of compact arrangement whereby it may be enclosed in a small housing of pleasing and acceptable appearance without using undue amounts of valuable shop space. Further, my invention serves the object of providing a horizontally extending cleaning chamber from which dirty used cleaning solution may be quickly discharged and a fresh clean one added. Still further my invention provides means for removably mounting the comb cleaning members whereby they may be removed from the cleaning chamber for cleaning when needed or for replacement when worn.

The invention has for further objects to provide other advantageous structures and arrangements which will appear from the following description and an examination of the accompanying drawing. Structures containing my invention may take various forms. I have selected a hair comb cleaner which constitutes a specific embodiment of my invention and shall describe the same and the best mode of carrying out my invention hereinafter, reference to the accompanying drawing being had to facilitate such description. In making such description or reference, however, I do not imply that variations therefrom which embody the invention manifest herein are beyond the contemplation of my invention.

Figure l of the accompanying drawing shows a perspective view of the hair comb cleaner embodying my invention. Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal section in elevation of the hair comb cleaner shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a view of a section taken along the plane of the line 33 indicated in Figure 2. Figure 4 of the acornpanying drawing shows a view of a section taken along the plane of the line 44 indicated in Figure 2. Figure 5 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically, the driving gears of the hair comb cleaner shown in the preceding mentioned figures.

The hair comb cleaner selected to illustrate an embodiment of my invention has a receptacle 10. The receptacle 10 comprises preferably integrally cast long side walls 11, shorter end walls 12 and 13 and a bottom wall 14. Said walls form, as may be seen from the accompanying drawing, a rather shallow tub-like bodv having a chamber C to receive a comb cleaner solution to a fleptli of that approximately indicated by the broken inc 5.

The receptacle 10 not only serves the function of holding the comb cleaner solution but also provides means to mount the driving and operating parts of the cleaner. For example, the bottom wall 14 has an endwise brojecting lateral extension 16 on which an electric driving motor 17 is mounted. The extension 16 together with an upwardly projecting lateral extension 19 of the end wall 13 forms a seat to receive a housing shell 20 enclosing the motor 17. Preferably, the shell 20 has a handle 21 of the drawer pull type connected to it and by which the entire hair comb cleaner may be carried or moved about. Also, if desired, the shell 20 supports a suitable switch 22 to control the motor 17 Within the space housed by the shell 20, there is a train of gears which drive the hair comb cleaner cleaning elements. The electric motor 17 has a rotor shaft 24 on which a pinion 25 is keyed. The pinion 25 meshes with a gear 26 keyed to a stub shaft 27 rotatably mounted in a journal 28 extending through the extension 19 of the end wall 13. The gear 26 meshes with a like gear 29 keyed to a second stub shaft 30 rotatably mounted in a journal 31, also extending through the extension 19 of the end wall 13. The journals 28 and 31 are each the same distance from the bottom wall 14 and on opposite sides of a verti cally extending median plane between the side walls 11, the latter relation of which may be seen, for example, in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.

As electric motor 17 is energized, through operation of the switch 22, the shaft 24 rotates to drive pinion 25 which in turn drives gears 26 and 29 and the shafts 27, 30 keyed thereto in the directions illustrated by the arrows appearing in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing. This causes rotation of the comb cleaning members of the hair comb cleaner.

Preferably, the comb cleaning members comprise a pair of brushes 40. The brushes selected are conventional in form having, for example, a twisted wire core frame 41 supporting comb cleaning elements embodied in a multiple of outwardly radiating tufts of bristles 42. The assembly of bristle tufts along the core frame 41 forms a brush body of generally cylindrical outline, indicated by the broken lines 43 appearing in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing. Within the cylindrical outline of each brush 40, the tufts 42 are arranged in helical sequence to produce a bristle worm having axial thrust in a direction toward the end wall 13 when the motor 17 is energized. The bristles of the tufts 42 are of such radial length that, when the brush core frame 41 of each brush 40 is placed in axial alignment with one of the stub shafts 27 and 30, the ends of the bristles mesh or overlap each other. Thus, were an object, such as a comb, to be placed between the brushes 40 and the motor 17 energized, the object would be thrust endwise of the brushes 40 and outwardly from a position between them toward the end wall 13 of the receptacle.

The brushes 40 each have means to connect with the stub shafts 27 and 30. Preferably, such means allows for easy disconnection to enable cleaning of the brushes 40 and their replacement, after wear. As shown, each brush 40 has a chuck head on one end of its core frame 41 which fits, to drivingly engage, in a mating driving socket 51 keyed to end of each stub shaft 27 and 30, in a manner well known and similar to that shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.

In the form of construction shown, the opposite end of each brush 40 is supported in a bearing located in a cover for the receptacle 10. The cover 60 is preferably a molded plastic shell structure which seats along the edges of the extension 19 of end wall 13 and the edges of the side walls 11 and other end wall 12. The cover 60 in longitudinal section as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing is of what may be appropriately described as stepped form. The high part 61 of the cover 60 which adjoins the extension 19 of end wall 13 and the major portion of the side walls 11 provides an enclosing and splash confining hood over the brushes 40 within the chamber C of the receptacle 10. The high or hood part 61 joins with a vertical riser part 62 and this with a platform or ledge part 63. The ledge part 63 rests upon and adjoins the end wall 12 of the receptacle to which, by suitable thumb screws 65, it may be suitably and removably fastened.

The vertical riser part 62 of the cover 60 has a pair of inwardly opening thrust bearings 66 in axial alignment, when the cover 60 is in closed position, with the stub shafts 27 and 30. The bearings 66 are adapted to receive bearing parts 67 on the ends of the brush core frames 41 and thus rotatably support the brushes 40 for rotation in response to operation of the motor 17.

Embodiments of my invention have a novel means for guiding a comb to be cleaned to a cleaning position relative to the brushes and there supporting it. Two of the features of such means are, first, the complete absence of holding clips, slides and brackets and, second, the utilization to feed the comb to a cleaning position and to there hold it of the force with which the brushes engage the comb in the comb cleaning operation. These features enable a hair comb cleaner embodying my invention to be of a much simpler and cheaper construction, to continue operative for longer periods of time with out need for service, and to treat combs of a wide range of size, shape and type.

An embodiment of one provision of this means shown n the accompanying drawing includes a rib 70 projecting lnwardly into the chamber C from the end wall 13 and its extension 19. The rib 70 is preferably integral with said end wall 13 and its extension and extends vertically along a lme between and equally spaced from the journals 28 and 31. In elevation, as seen in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing, the rib has a crown 71 which is slightly inclined to a true vertical, the upper end being closer to the end wall extension 19. A groove 72 is formed in the rib crown 71. The groove 72, like the crown, is also inclined to the vertical. The groove 72 has an open upper end 73 and a closed lower end 74. The open upper end 73 is at a point well above the axes of rotation of the brushes 40 about the brush core frame 41 and closed lower end 74 occurs at a point spaced from the bottom wall 14 and slightly below a diametric line common to the axes of rotation of the brushes. (See Figure 3.) The walls of the groove 72 in the rib crown provides a recess space into which one end of a comb to be cleaned may enter. The closed lower end 74 of the groove provides a rest on which the comb teeth of the comb end in said groove may rest.

Because of the counter-action between the thrust exerted by the helically arranged bristle tufts of the brushes 40 and the resistance exerted by the wall of the groove 72 opening toward and facing, as it does, counter-wise to the direction in which such thrust exerts, a comb, such as that indicated at 75, between said brushes 40 will be effectively held against endwise movement during the comb cleaning operation. Because of the further counteraction between the arcuate sweep exerted by the brush bristles, as the brush rotates, and the resistance exerted by the closed lower end 74 of the groove on the comb teeth, the comb 75 will also be held against lateral movement from between the brushes during the comb cleaning action. Hence, the comb is held in cleaning position by counteracting forces of which one is dynamic and generated as a consequence of comb cleaning.

In aid of the supporting action afforded by the just described structure, embodiments of my invention may also utilize the ledge part 63 of the cover 60.

In this connection the riser part 62 of the cover 60 has a slot in parallel relation and alignment with the groove 72. The vertical slot 80 provides a way through which the end of the comb 75 opposite to that in the groove 72 may extend and thus by its end teeth engage the ledge part 63. Preferably, the ledge part 63 also has a groove 81 forming a horizontal extension of the slot 80. The bottom of the groove 81 is the same vertical distance from the bottom wall 14 as is the closed lower end 74 of the groove 72. Thus, when the teeth of opposite ends of the comb 75 engage the bottom of the groove 81 and the closed lower end 74 of the groove 72, the comb will be suspended, in bridging relation, across the space in which the brushes 40 mesh and be there subjected to rigorous brush action which is possible for the brushes to deliver.

The direction of rotation of the brushes 40 causes the bristles to first engage the back or spine ends of the comb teeth and to then sweep across the teeth toward their points. This dislodges hair and foreign matter from the comb and from in the interdental spaces of the comb and forces such into the comb cleaning solution.

Because of the helical arranged bristle tufts 42 on the brushes 40, the sweep of the bristles is along a bias as concerns the straight line extension of the comb teeth. This assures that the bristle tufts 42 not only reach into the interdental spaces of the comb but also the teeth faces of the comb facing such interdental spaces are engaged and scrubbed by the bristles.

If desired the cover 60 may have, in addition to the slot 80, a slot 82 in the hood part 61. The slot 82 is a horizontal extension of the slot 80 and provides a way through which the introduction and withdrawal of a comb 75 to and from cleaning relation with the brushes 40 may be facilitated.

In operation, the receptacle 10 is provided with a comb cleaner solution, such as soap and water, to the depth of the line 15. The motor 17, through switch 22, 1s then energized. A comb, like the one indicated 75 may then be passed through slot 82 in the cover 60. Immediately the brushes 40, then rotating, engage the comb and urge one end thereof into the groove 72. The brushes also draw the comb downwardly between the brushes, as guided by the sides of the groove 72 and the slot 80, until the end comb teeth engage the closed lower end 74 of the groove 72 and the bottom of the groove 81 in the cover ledge part 63. At this point, the comb movement ends and the comb remains stationary through the cleaning operation.

It will be noted that, as the comb moves downwardly, the comb end in the groove 72 engages the inclined bottom of the groove. This causes the comb to move axially and counter to the thrust exerted by the brush bristles 42 into a position where the comb teeth are in the path of bristle sweep. This initial action not only assures rugged brush action but also puts the comb teeth into brush engaging position for cleaning.

When a number of combs have been cleaned, the cover 60 may be removed by unscrewing screws 65 and the solution replaced. Replacement of worn or soiled brushes 40 may be easily efiected at that time. Thus, it will be seen that my invention provides an attractive, simple and inexpensive hair comb cleaner of wide adaptability and use.

I claim:

1. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a comb cleaning solution, a pair of brushes having helically arranged bristles mounted on the receptacle for rotation about horizontal parallel axes extending through the receptacle and so that said bristles dip into and pass through said comb cleaning solution as the brushes rotate, means for rotating the brushes to cause spiral progression of said helically arranged bristles in a common axial direction as the brushes rotate, and means for supporting a comb between said brushes including a groove in said receptacle, said groove opening inwardly of the receptacle along a vertical line midway between the axes of said brushes and in counter-facing relation to the axial direction of spiral progression of said helically arranged bristles whereby a comb placed between said rotating brushes and urged axially by said helically arranged bristles enters the groove and is thereby retained against passing axially from between and out of cleaning engagement with the brushes as they continue to rotate.

2. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination described in claim 1 in which said groove has a closed lower end spaced from the bottom of the receptacle and providing a rest adapted to be engaged by the comb teeth at that end of the comb within the groove whereby the comb is prevented from passing downwardly from between and out of cleaning engagement with the brushes as the brushes continue to rotate.

3. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combina tion described in claim 2 in which the closed lower end of the groove is below a line diametric to the axes of rotation of said brushes.

4. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination described in claim 3 in which said means for supporting the comb includes a led e on said receptacle in horizontal alignment with and opposite to the closed lower end of said groove, said ledge adapted to be engaged by comb teeth at the opposite end of the comb to that engaging the groove whereby the comb is supported between the brushes from points at opposite ends of the comb.

5. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination described in claim 4 in which said means for supporting the comb includes a cover for said receptacle having a vertically extending slot in spaced parallel relation to said groove and in contiguous relation to said ledge and providing a space within which said opposite end of the comb may extend when the comb teeth of said opposite end engage said ledge.

6. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination described in claim 5 in which said cover has a horizontal extension of said slot, said horizontal extension of said slot being in parallel relation to the axes of rotation of said brushes and vertically aligned with said groove and the space between said axes of rotation of said brushes whereby a comb may be passed laterally through the cover and be guided to engagement with the brushes by the groove at one end and by the slot at the other end.

7. In a hair comb cleaner comprising the combination described in claim 6 in which said means for rotating the brushes causes said helically arranged brush bristles to rotate in a direction so that when the bristles are in the phase of greatest proximity to each other said bristles are arcuately sweeping downward toward the cleaning solution whereby foreign matter is brushed from the interdental space of a comb and is urged into and below the cleaning solution.

No references cited. 

